Rod line weight



Dec. 26, 1939- J. P. RATIGAN ROD LINE WEIGHT Filed April 23, 1937 Patented Dec. 26 1939 UNITED STATS ATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus to be used in raising and lowering oil-well rods, and is intended to provide a means for applying a weight to the traveling block which supports the rod hook in order to facilitate the playing of the lines out when the hook is to be lowered disconnected from the rods.

The present practice of handling rods in oilwells is to use a line which is trained over a number of pulleys at the top of the oil-well derrick, called the crown block, and which line extends down to pulleys connected to the hook, the pulleys being called the traveling block. Depending upon the number of pulleys in the system, both in the crown block and traveling block, the resistance to the playing out of the line may vary considerably. The practice is to raise the oil-well rods on apparatus attached to a hook supported by the traveling block by pulling the line up on a reel or drawworks, disconnect the rods from the hook, and then release the drawworks so as to permit the weight of the traveling block and hook to lower the same again to the bottom of the well for connection with further stems or sections of rods. In many cases, the resistance of the line in the traveling block and drawworks is sufficient to prevent or greatly delay this lowering operation.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which may be made to function as an added load or weight in lowering the hook, and which is so designed that it renders readily available to the operator various desirable loads, depending upon the amount of added weight which it is necessary or desirable to add to the traveling block in order to assure a prompt return to the bottom of the derrick when not loaded with the rods.

Various further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a description of a preferred form or example of a rod line weight embodying the present invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the traveling block weight and the connection thereto of a hook and traveling block.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation, mainly in vertical section, of the tubing block weight, itself.

Referring to the drawing, 2 generally indicates a so-called traveling block, which in the example illustrated supports but a single pulley 3. This traveling block is provided with a link 4 at its upper end for attachment with the line of the block in certain cases. It is to be understood that any usual or preferred form of traveling block may be substituted for the block 2, and the block may contain any number of pulleys 3. In practice a wire line is trained from the pulley 3 to certain pulleys constituting a part of the socalled crown block at the top of the oil-well derrick, from which the line leads to a reel or drawworks which is employed for winding up the line and unwinding the same for raising and lowering the traveling block 2. At the lower end I of the traveling block there is'indicated a customary link 5, which in usual practice is engaged with the hook 6, indicated in the lower-portion of the view. The hook 6 is shown provided with a link or bale l, which ordinarily makes connection with the link 5 on the traveling block 2. The hook 6 is used to support a rod elevator or clamp for supporting rods during the act of raising or lowering the rods out of or into the well.

With the apparatus of the present invention there is provided a weight body 8, which is indicated as preferably in the form of a hollow cylindrical shell with tapered ends 9 and It. The interior of the weight body 8 provides room for the insertion of weighting material and is made sufficiently large so that by varying the kind and quantity of weighting material inserted in the body the weight may be adapted for pulling down lines from crown blocks when either one or any larger number of lines is employed, so that with a single apparatus the operator has readily available to himself any desired weight. The upper tapered portion 9 of the body is provided with suitable filling apertures I l which may be closed by a frusto-conical sleeve 12, readily movable upward to uncover the filling ports. If desired, nuts or bolts 12a may be provided for firmly closing the sleeve I2 over the filling ports ll. Axially disposed within the weight body 8 is a supporting rod l3, upon which the body 8 is journaled. For this purpose, the rod 8 is provided with nuts M and IS on its ends, which engage the races of ball bearings I6 and I1. Between the ball bearings Hi and I1 and the weight body 8 at the top and. bottom of the same are, respectively, mounted coupling members I8 and l 9, each of which forms a part of the race for one of the ball bearings l6 and ii, and each of which is provided at diametrically opposite sides with bifurcated ears, indicated as 20 in the case of the'coupling l 8, and 2! in the case of the coupling I9. Each of such bifurcated ears receives a pin '22 which forms a support for one end of a U-shaped link or bale 23.

As thus constructed, a weight is provided for weighting lines connected with the traveling block 2, which weight is not only readily adjusted as to mass, but also in operation is adequately supported for free rotation so as to inhibit any entangling of the lines in operation.

While the particular form of the apparatus herein described is well adapted to carry out the objects of the invention, various modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention, and the invention also a bale retaining member and a. bale supported thereby at the end of said rod, and means for swivelly mounting said bale supporting member on said rod.

3. A rod line weight, comprising a casing body for reception of weighting material, an axially disposed supporting rod extending therethrough, a bale retaining member and a bale supported thereby at the end of said rod, and means for swivelly mounting said bale supporting member on said rod, said means including a ball race.

A rod line weight, comprising a casing for reception of weighting material, a rod extending from each end of said casing, bale supporting members swivelled to said rod, said bale supporting members having bifurcated ears, and bales connected to pins supported by said bifurcated ears.

JAMES P. RATIGAN. 

